The COVID-19 crisis has caused a systemic shock to the global economy.

There is even talk of a ‘Pre-COVID-19’ and ‘Post-COVID-19’ world.

ACCA’s globalresearch Covid-19 global survey: inside business, impacts and responsesdata looks at the impact of COVID-19 so far on organisationsand the global business community and it’s clear from the findings that this is onlythe start of the story. Over the coming weeks and monthsdifferent regions of the world, countries, businessesand organisations in all sectors will seek to navigate away through the crisis, using different strategies andinterventions to respond to the crisis in what will be acontinuously and fast-changing situation.  ACCA’s report provides advice for organisationsin how to respond based on the ‘3As’.

Act and respond in a sustainable manner

1. Think ‘people first’. Pay attention to the physical and mental health of employees and developappropriate plans for the resumption of work. Put in place a communications plan that will engageand update employees regularly and human resources policies that address crisis measures.

• Accept the short-term focus and demonstrate true leadership. Timelines and targets will needto be refocused on near and mid-term horizons. Senior leaders in organisations need to accept achange of focus from strategic to tactical.

• Recognise the needs of your customers and other stakeholders. Make sure you do not missthe opportunity to respond to those changing needs. Understand the impact on your supply chains,and wider relationships with stakeholders and partners.

• Use a crisis-management team with communications skills and establish a resilience plan. Oversee major issues,formulate business contingency plans, coordinate and align implementation across differentdepartments, and ensure speedy responses and decision-making. Initiate resilience planningto ensure activities across the organisation are connected in response to an event and broaderbusiness integrity is protected.

Analyse the different information sources to secure your organisation

1. AYUR

5. Model scenarios and plan for resumption. In a crisis such as COVID-19, organisational scenariosare not constant and require regular review. It is important to understand how using analyticalcapabilities to assess both external and internal data can put the organisation in a stronger positionand help it understand the operational and financial impact of different scenarios that may arise.Information insight is also critically important for business resumption planning, which aims to getthe organisation back up and running properly, planned in manageable phases. This requires analysisof the resources and assets that the organisation needs to safeguard in order to be able to resume.

6. Review government and fiscal policies that may be of benefit. Monitor the relief measuresand policies introduced by the government and seek to use the benefits fully. Take a lead roleand communicate the needs of your industry (leveraging on data insights) to relevant governmentagencies for appropriate policy formulation, refinement or implementation.

7. Remember: ‘Liquidity is the lifeblood’. Organisations should review their lines of credit andrenegotiate their debt financing obligations. Payment periods, for example, may well be extendedin the immediate term as businesses recover. Strong focus on cash management and liquidityshould be in place to bridge different business scenarios, accepting that recovery to full liquidity islikely to be a long process.

Anticipate the business impacts and future trends

8. Look for opportunities to innovate. Organisations should consider opportunities for shortormedium-term innovation. This could involve product and service development or thinkinginnovatively about partnerships. It could mean ensuring that employees have new opportunitiesfor producing innovative ideas or looking again at how the organisation is deploying digital andtechnological innovations.

9. Review company strategies. Re-examine business models. Explore new channels to market,supply-chain diversification, new approaches to customer services, and opportunities to grow.

10. Don’t forget: fundamental business risks remain. Don’t lose sight of the fundamentals. Evenin the face of COVID-19, the organisation will still face not only existing risks (e.g. cybersecurity), butalso different ways of working, and strategic reactions to COVID-19 could change these risks orintroduce new ones.

ACCA’s global research with over 10,000 finance professionals identifies a wide range of financial challenges facing organisations of all sizes and across all sectors. 

To read the report in full:

Covid-19 global survey: inside business, impacts and responses